Now that we're deep into the discography of Oh Sees, it's got me thinking about what it is about certain bands that inspires such loyalty from fans. To put it another way, do people keep following Oh Sees and exploring their earlier releases because of a consistent quality? Is it because they continue to surprise us by trying new things, adding new members, changing their name, and/or taking stylistic left turns seemingly on a whim? Is it because John Dwyer is such a good looking fellow? I suspect the reason (or reasons) differs for every fan. When it comes to Castlemania, though, I've noticed that lovers and haters alike have the same reasoning for their feelings toward it: it's different.
Following up the release of Singles Collection Vol. 1 & 2 by only a couple months, Castlemania arrived in this world on May 10, 2011. Like Dog Poison, it was mostly recorded by Dwyer at home, with significant contributions from usual collaborator Brigid Dawson as well as then-fresh faced new boy Ty Segall. Unlike Dog Poison, Castlemania feels like a fully realized, finished project. You get the sense that he had these songs and ideas sitting around, and they wouldn't work with a full psych/garage rock arrangement, so he took another crack at doing them like he would have in the early days. This means more acoustic guitars, sure, but it also means a more expansive palette of sounds and instruments than on the OCS records. Moreover, when the album does rock, on 'Corrupted Coffin' and 'A Wall, A Century 2', it's hardly Help leftovers; rather, it's a skronky noise fest and a menacing, suffocating stomper, respectively.
While it doesn't sound so different from other Oh Sees projects that you'll be reaching for the sleeve to confirm the artist name, it can be said that Castlemania largely exists in its own sound world. Few Oh Sees albums are better served by a listen on headphones. In fact, between its grim lyrical content and insular atmosphere, I recommend enjoying it on headphones at 1 in the morning after everyone else has gone to bed while you're still awake taking bong hits and beer sips and thinking about life and death. In terms of the mix of poppy songwriting and the eerie/dark 60s psychedelia permeating out of the grooves, Castlemania brings to mind Olivia Tremor Control and their affiliates in the Elephant 6 collective. I mean, couldn't you see it showing up on shelves in 1999 next to Her Wallpaper Reverie and Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume 1?
What strikes me the most about this album is how long it took me to appreciate it. Back in 2011 when I discovered Oh Sees, I wrote a short, dismissive review of Castlemania, which is so poorly done I won't bother linking or quoting it. When I think back to my views at the time, and my taste in music, a better way to explain my initial negative opinion is that I was more inclined to expect things from records instead of letting them tell me their tale. I was such a huge instant fan of Help and Carrion Crawler/The Dream that it's all I expected or wanted from Oh Sees. When Castlemania turned out to be more like Olivia Tremor Control and less like Ty Segall, I couldn't even begin to hear it for what it was.
It's only with the last eight years of growth, further musical experiences, and especially doing this retrospective that I've come around to Castlemania. I defy anyone to not want to sing along to 'I Need Seed.' It's infectious and fun, contrasting with the chaotic intensity and clangor of the title track. I love the structure of this record, the way it balances its variety of tones and styles while still making for a coherent journey. In particular I love how 'The Horse Was Lost' seemingly closes out the album, with its distant saxophone moans and flute-like organ, before a minute of silence leads into the three covers that actually close the album. It's as if you just watched an intimate performance in someone's living room and now they're doing a few covers as an encore, with two of them sung by guests/friends. Sure, the very last song on Castlemania is a weirdly dour affair that sounds like Nico's The Marble Index, but I'm going to let that nitpick slide because I happen to love that album and being different is part of what makes Castlemania great. One criticism that does still hold for this record it's that you really have to be OK with Dwyer's affected vocals from this era. He purposefully sounds more bratty, nasally, and croaky than his natural voice, and if you find that kind of thing hard to overlook, this won't be a tolerable listen for long.
Since it's sandwiched in the 2011 releases between a sexy double album compilation and an adored fan favorite, and also since it's so different from their other records, Castlemania is easy to overlook and to skip over. I know many fans are eager to get to Carrion Crawler/The Dream. Sure, it's an almost universally beloved album; it's high on the list of recommendations for new fans and often makes top five placings in rankings of personal favorites of the devoted. Of course I'm excited to get to it. But give Castlemania its due first. Absolutely give this one another chance if it hasn't clicked with you before. It eventually did for me, and while it's never going to be one of my favorites, at least now I'm able to see it as the excellent and unique gem that others have been digging for years.
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